Electric switch



G. J. ZEIS ELECTRIC SWITCH lFiled DeG- April 21, 1925,

Patented Apr.. Ell, '@250 GEORGE J. ZEIS, F BUFFLG, NEW YORK.

ELECTRIC SWITCH.

application mcd necemeer 9, 192e. serial no. 605,942.

It is the object of this invention to prol duce ay switch for this purpose which is simple in construction. reliable in operation and not liable toiget out of order.

In the accompanying drawings: Figurell is a side elevation of a preferrred embodiment of my invention. Figure 2 is a vertical longitudinal section ofthe same.

Figures 3 and 4 are vertical transverse sections taken on the correspondingly numbered lines in Fig. 1. Figure 5 is a frage mentary vertical transverse section taken on line 5 5, Fig.| 2. Figure 6 is a perspective view of the box or enclosing casing of the switch.k Figure 7 is a similar view of the insulating block forming the internal sup` port of the contact blades of the switch. Figure 8 is a plan view of the blank from which the enclosingcasing is constructed. Figure 9 is a. fragmentary top plan view of the switch.

Similar characters of reference refer to like parts throughout the several views.

rlhe enclosing casing of this switch may be of any suitable'construction. but as shown in the drawings, the same is made out .of a

single sheet of metal which is stampedl so as to form a bottom 10, two longitudinal side walls 11, 12.which are bent upwardly fromv opposite longitudinal edges of the bottom. two transverse end walls 13, 14. which are bent upwardly from opposite transverse edges of the bottom, and two horizontal attaching lugs 15 which are bent laterally outward from the upper edges of the transverse walls 13 and 14 and are provided with openings 16 which are adapted to receive the screws whereby this casing is attached to the surface upon which the switch is to be mounted.

Adjacent to one end ofthe side walls 11 and 12 the same are provided with perforations 17 near their upper ends for a purpose which will presentl appear, and o ne of these side walls is provi 'ed on its upper part near the opposite end of this Wall, with a downwardly projecting hook 18, which is stamped inwardly out of the'stock of the respective side wall. Adjacent to one end the bottom of the enclosing, casing is provided with a .longitudinal slot 19 and at itsopposite end the same is provided with a pair of openings 20. 20, which are arranged transversely in line.

Resting on the upper side of the bottom of the casing and extending over the open- 1ng'20 thereof, is an'inner insulating block -21 which is provided with a pairqof longitudinal grooves 22. Qn the underside of the casing and extending across the openings 20 thereof is an outer insulating plate 23. The plate 23 and block 21 are constructed of hard rubber, vulcanite, or other suitable material.

Arranged lengthwise within" the casing, above the bottom thereof, parallel with each other, are two contact blades 24 of spring metal.such as brass, each of these blades resting with its rear end within one of the grooves 22 of the insulating block and engaging its longitudinal edges with the sides of the screw so that this blade is held against lateral or horizontal movement. EachA of these blades is secured to the insulating block and the latter and the insulating plate are 'secured to opposite sides of the `bottom of the casing by means of a bolt, the shank 25 of which passes through corresponding openings in the' insulating block and plate and also through one of the openings 2O and bears with the head 26 at its inner end against the inner side of the respective contactblade through the medium of an interposed-block washer,rwhich the nut 28 of this bolt, which is applied to the outer part thereof, bears against the outer Side of the insulating plate 23. On the extreme outer end of the shank 25 of each bolt is mounted a thumb nut 29 whereby an electric wire is adapted to be clamped against the nut 28 and thus provides a construction, which in effect, serves the purpose of a binding post. Each of the openings 20 isv of suliiciently large diameter that the sheet metal bottom of the casing does not come in contact with the shank 25 of the respective clamping bolt. thereby providing an insulating support for each of the contact blades on the casing.

Means are provided for producing an electrical connection between the free ends of both blades, which means are preferably constructed as follows:

30 represents a horizontal pivot pin which extends transversely across the space within the casing and is secured at its opposite ends in the opening 17 of its longitudinal walls by upsetting or riveting the ends of this pin against the outer sides of these walls, as shown at 31 in Fig. 4. Extending vertically through the slot 19 of the casing is a switch lever 32, preferably of metal which is pivotally mounted on its inner end upon. the central part of the pivot pin 30, for which purpose the end of this lever is provided with a notch 33 at its inner end and which converts the same into a hook for couplinv 'this lever with the pin 30 hyengaging its notch over this pin, as shown in Fig. 2. This lever is provided below tl1e\ pivot pin 30 with a bridge piece or coupling member which is adapted to produce an electrical connection between the free ends of thecontact blades.

In its preferred form this bridge piecev consists of a horizontal pin 34 of metal which passes transversely throughan opening in the switch lever between the pivot pin 30 and the bottom of the casing and is arranged below the lane of the contact blades 24. Upon swinglng the contact lever 32 backwardly the bridge piece 34 is moved out of engagement from the two contact blades 24, thereby opening the electric circuit of which lthese contacts form a part, but when swinging this lever forwardly, the same moves in between the two contacts and opposite 'ends of the .bridge iece 34, engaging the. underside of the-b ades 24 with a wiping or sliding action, thereby producing a good electrical contact therewith and closing the electric circuit of which these blades form a part.

Owing to the wiping action of the contact piece 34 with these blades and the rotary movement of the lever, the free ends of these blades will not only be lifted, but will also be rubbed by the bridge piece 34 and thus insure a positive electrical connection at all times, which will be maintained clear and also permit of a slight variation in the throw I' the lever and still produce an electrical connection between these blades. The forward movement of the switch lever may be produced by any suitable means and may be either rigidly connected with the actuating member or yieldingly connected therewith by means of' a spring 35.

The backward or return movement of the switch lever is effected by yielding means which are preferably constructed in the esencia forno of a spring having a coil 35 which surrounds the pivot pin on one side of the switch lever, while one end of this coil is constructed in the form of a hook-shaped arm 36 which engages with the switch lever 32 on that longitudinal edge of the same opposite the notch 33, and the other end of this spring is constructed in the form of a longitudinal arm 37 which is coupled with the casing by engaging this arm underneath the hook 18, as shown in Figs. 2, 5 and 9. The tension of this spring tends constantly to turn the lever 32 backwardly, which movement is limited by'engagement of this lever with the outer end of the slot 19. The tension of this spring 35 also operates to hold the hook-shaped inner end of the switch lever in engagement with the pivot pin 30.

By means of this construction, the switch lever can be readily engaged with the pivot pin for assembling the parts and also disengaged therefrom for adjustment or realrs.

As a whole, this switch is very simple in construction, its working parts are protected so that the same will not be affected by weather, or liable to be injured by contact with other parts, and its method of engaging the contacts thereof results inproducing a 4good electrical connection so as to insure proper working of the electrical apparatus with which the same is associated.

I claim as my invention:

' 1. An electric switch comprising a casing, a pair of contacts arranged within said casing, a pivot pin extending across said casing and supported at its opposite ends on op osin walls thereof, a lever extending t roug said casing and pivotally mounted on said pivot pin and adapted to move between said blades, and a metal bridge pin extending transversely through said lever and ada ted to engage its opposite ends with said lades.

2. An electric switch comprising a casing, a pair of contacts arran ed Within said casing, a ivot pin extendlng across said casing an supported at its opposite ends on opposing walls thereof, and a lever extending through said casing and provided at its inner end with a notch which engages with the said pivot pin, a cross piece mounted on said lever and adapted to electrically connect said blades, and a spring operating to turn said lever in the direction for disenga ing said cr'oss iece from said blades and iolding its; noto in engagement with said pin.

GEO. J. ZEIS.

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